Continuing on from “The Expectation,” I wanted to expand on this subject because I think it’s fascinating enough to discuss, and it’s something that is undeniably part of the retail world.
Of course, everyone holds their own beliefs and values, especially if they’re religious, but I don’t necessarily want that to be a part of this discussion.
It’s always bewildered me how these women who work in retail become pregnant and believe it is absolutely a sign that they need to go through with the pregnancy, planned or not.
Granted I’m not an authority on this subject at all, but I have been witness to this happening several times during the years I spent in this business.
Some of these people believe that they’re always trying to climb out from a hole and so using that logic, they always find a reason to deal with the life event du jour. I’m sure it’s not always as life-altering as having a child, but they still choose to carry through with it.
For those working in retail though, it is incredibly hard to manage living on a retail salary and supporting your family. There are those who have help and those who don’t, but regardless, it’s never a walk in the park.
It takes years of sacrifice and struggle to make it work, and if you’re working in retail (especially if you’re some type of manager), you’re not going to be changing careers anytime soon. You need the benefits from the job to help support your family.
Not to mention the maternity leave you need to take full advantage of. Some companies are very limited when it comes to their policies on maternity leave so it’s not even as if you can stay home for a while and still collect a paycheck.
There are too many roadblocks that surface in life, and I just feel as if those who aren’t exactly planning on having a child should wait until their situation improves. Working in retail is so stress-inducing that having a child will intensify that frustration, and when that happens it’s almost impossible to see the silver lining.
quarterlifeinretail 